Alka Yagnik revealed on social media that she has been diagnosed with a rare hearing loss condition. Here is what you need to know about the symptoms and causes about it.
Indian playback singer Alka Yagnik has revealed the reason behind her long absence from the public view. The veteran singer revealed that she has been diagnosed with a ‘rare sensory neural nerve hearing loss.’ She shared the news of her health via an Instagram post. She captioned it, “Having mustered some courage in the weeks following the episode, I want to break my silence now for all my friends and well wishers who have been asking me why I’m missing in action. It has been diagnosed by my docs as a rare sensory neural nerve hearing loss, due to a viral attack…This sudden, major setback has caught me completely unawares. As I attempt to come to terms with it please keep me in your prayers. For my fans and young colleagues, I would add a word of caution regarding exposure to very loud music and headphones. One day, I wish to share the health perils of my professional life…” (sic).
What is Sensorineural Hearing Loss?
Sensory neural nerve hearing loss, also known as sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), is a type of hearing impairment that occurs due to damage or dysfunction in the inner ear or the auditory nerve. While sensorineural hearing loss is a relatively common form of hearing loss, there are some rare and specific types that are less frequently encountered. These nerves, known as the auditory or cochlear nerves, are responsible for transmitting sound information from the inner ear to the brain.
- prolonged exposure to loud noises
- genetic factors
- natural aging process
According to Healthline there are ranges for SNHL :-
- Mild hearing loss: A loss of hearing between 26 to 40 decibels.
- Moderate hearing loss: A loss of hearing between 41 to 55 decibels.
- Severe hearing loss: A loss of hearing more than 71 decibels.
While this is not a life-threatening disease, it does have an impact on your communication skills. Here are few symptoms of SNHL to watch out for:
- Sudden hearing loss: Patients with rare sensory neural nerve hearing loss may experience a sudden onset of hearing loss or a gradual, progressive decline in their hearing abilities.
- Asymmetric or unilateral hearing loss: In some cases, the hearing loss may be more pronounced in one ear compared to the other, or it may be unilateral (affecting only one ear).
- Trouble hearing sounds: Individuals with this condition may have particular difficulty understanding speech in the presence of background noise, as the damaged sensory nerves struggle to process complex auditory information.
- One may face body balance issues, muscle weakness, troubling hearing high pitched sounds.
- Tinnitus: Long ringing in the ear.
Yagnik wrote in her post that she will share more about her journey navigating through this. Several celebrities from the industry like Sonu Nigam, Ila Arun, Shankar Mahadevan, Poonam Dhillon also sent their wishes.
We wish Alka Yagnik a speedy recovery!